Welt closing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines



Oct. 11, 1932. 'H. F. PAGET 1,382,566

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Oct. 11, 1932. H. F. PAGET 1,882,566

WELT CLOSING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 5. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 W I TNESSEU IN VEN TOR:

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WELT CLOSING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 5, 1931 4-Sheets-Sheet 4 WITNESSES: I INVENTOR:

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QZZZZW A TTORNEYSv UNITED STATES PATENT,

OFFICE HAROLD I. PAGE'I', OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HAINES HOSIERY mLLs INQ, vam 4 WELT CLOSING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED xurr'rmo MACHINES Application filed. October 5, 1931. Serial No. 566,833.

This invention relates to mechanismuseful in connection with full fashioned knitting machines to automatically close the welt tops of the stocking blanks produced on such machines. 1 1 J In a previous application, Serial No. 430,566, filed by Joseph Haines, J r., on February 24, 1930, Patent No.'1,826,661, is disclosed an automatic Welt closing mechanism in which latch hook welt bars, after the knitting of suitable lengths of'welt fabric, were attachedto the dipping frames of the fashioning mechanism of the machine, and the initially knit course of fabric loops held by the welt bar hooks, transferred to the needles of the machine incident to the performance by the said fashioning mechanism of a narrowing cycle.

arrangement for eliminating one, of the two Means were included in the usual dips of the narrowing frame of the fashioning mechanism to predetermine contact of the well; bar hooks with the needles but once for each welt closing operation.

My invention has for its chief aim to accomplish the same end, to wit, automatic welt closure, through modification of the press movement of the needle bars of the knitting machine to suit the usual movements of the narrowing'frame of the machine likewise to the end of predetermining contact of the needles but once during performance of a narrowing cycle by the fashioning mechamsm.

A further object of my invention is to secure the foregoing desideratum in an automatic welt closing mechanism having the form of a simple attachment which is readily incorporable in standard types of full fashioned knitting machines without requiring structural alterations in them or interfering with their normal mode of operation.

'Another object of my invention is to provide in connection with automatic welt closing mechanism, control means whereby the mechanism is brought into action concurrently with the initiation of a narrowing cycle of the fashioning mechanism for the purposes of. automatic welt closure.

My invention is also directed in part toward provision, in connection-with welt bars detail views.

fabric loops to a definite position onthe OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- shanks of the welt bar hooks to insure their stocking knitting machine conveniently embodying the present improvements.

Fig. II is across section of the machine viewed as indicated by the arrows II--II 1n Fi I.

%ig. III shows another cross section of the machine, taken as indicated by the arrows IIIIII in Fig. I; and Figs. IV and V are inatic illustrations showing the manner m which the stocking-Welt is closed in accordance with my invention,

The knitting machine herein illustrated 1s, generally speaking, of standard deslgn, each of'its needle bars 10 being movedup and down relative to the sinkers 12 and knockovers 13 incident to the formation of fabric loops in the well known manner, by a rotary cam (not shown) on the cam shaft 14,through the instrumentality of levers 15 and 16 sei cured to a longitudinal rock shaft 17 with bearing support in the transverse frame members whereof two are indicated at '18, 19. At the same time, and also after well known practice, the needle bar 10 is moved 1n and out to effect closure of the needle beards, through rocking of said bar about fulcrum connections at 20 with the levers 15, through the usual connections indicated at 21, 22 and 23. Of'these, the arm23 is provided with a.roller 24 which is ordinarily maintalned in operative contact with the usual rotary .curved arms 29 that reach forward from a horizontal rockshaft 30 at the back of the machine. The dipping frame 27 1s moved up and down 1n the known manner incident to the performance of the narrowing cycles of the fashioning mechanism, by virtue of link connections 31 with cam operated levers, not shown. The usual loop transfer point combs employed in narrowing the fabric are shown at 32, 33 vided for each bank of the needlesbeing respectively secured to horizontal slide rods 34, 35 which are shiftable back and forth in guide brackets 36 pendant from a longitudinal rod 28 of the dipping head 27. All the usual phases of the knitting performed by the machine are subject to the governance of a pattern chain indicated at 38 in Fig. T, the same being trained about a drive sprocket 39 rotating on a stud shaft 40 which is supported by a bracket 41 onthe frontal longitudinal bottom rail 42 of the machine frame. The opposingrotary cams which are instrumental in shifting the cam shaft 14 to the right, as required for determing the narrowing cycles of the machine, are indicated at 43 and 44 in Fig. T; and the rollers which cooperate with these cams, at 45 and 46, the sai rollers being carried by a spring pulled arm 47 fulcrumed at 48 on the machine frame.

, The trip latch member 49 for the roller arm stocking knitting machine equipped as above described, for the purposes of automatic welt closure in accordance with .my invention, I provide mechanism as follows: Mounted on the (am shaft 14 immediately to the left of the usual press cam 54 employed during the ordinary narrowing phases. of the knitting an auxiliary split press cam 55. As clearly shown in Fig. II, this auxiliary press cam 55 has a concentric circumferential edge portion 55a which substantially comprehends a semi-circle, and two spaced rises 557) and 550 whereof the function will be later on explainedl Slidable in guide brackets 56 and whereof there is a pair ,pro-' eeasee 57 separately secured to the cross frames 18 and 19 ofthe machine is a horizontal shifter rod 58 with a fork 59 at one end thereof engagingthe roller 24 of the needle bar actuating arm 23, which roller, in the present instance is slidable endwise on its supporting a'xis 24a, see Figs. I, II and V. The shifter rod 58 is subject to a spring 60 which serves to yieldingly urge the said rod toward the right in Fig. T, so that a collar 61 thereon is held in contact with the corresponding side of the guide bracket 56, the roller 24 of the needle bar actuating arm being thereby maintained in the plane of the usual press cam 25 during the regular knitting periods of he machine.

The means relied upon to actuate the shifter rod 58 includes a pair of special rotary cams 62, 63 which are shown in Fig. I as being mounted on the cam shaft 14 leftward of the transverse frame 18. Adapted to cooperate with the side face 62a of the cam 62, is a roller 64 which is carried atone end of an arm 65 whereof the opposite end has a forked connection with a finger 66 on the shifter rod 58. From Figs. T, HT and TV it will be observed that the roller arm 65 is pivoted at 67 to a swivel member 68, which latter is in turn fulcrumed on a stud 69 projecting laterally from an upright bracket 70 on the machine frame rail 42. The roller arm 65 is thus supported with capacity to swing on itsown axis 67 in following the configuration of the cam 62, as well as with capacity to swing toward and away fromthe said cam about the stud 69. Normally, the roller arm 65 is held retracted in the position illustrated against the pull of a spring 71, by a trippable latch member 7 3 fulcrumed at 7 4 at the front of the bracket 70, said arm being moved to such position at the completion of each welt closing operation as hereinafter more full described, through action of the peripheral rise 63a of the cam 63 upon an upward roller arm 7 5 of the swivel member 68.

At 76 in Fig. I is shown a pedal whereby thelatch members 49 and 73, associated with the roller arms 47 and 65 respectively'associated with the rotary cams 43, 44 and 62, 63

may be manually tripped. As illustrated the pedal 76 is pivoted on a fulcrum bolt 77 let into the front of the machine frame rail 42, and normally held against a stop 78 by means of a spring 79. A link 80 connects a radial lug 76a of the pedal 76 with the latch member 73; while another radial lug 76b of the said pedal is pivotally coordinated with a thrust rod 81 which is guided for up and down movement in-a fixed bearing lug 82 and which has its upper end laterally turned, as at 8101 to underreach the stud handle50 of the latch member 49.

As an aid to insure depression of the fabric loops beneath the sinkers 12 of the machine for retention by the latter as the latched hooks 52a of the welt bars 52 are withdrawn at-the termination of a welt closing opera tion, I have fitted the said bars with loop aligning members 85. As shown in Figs. I,

11, VII and VIII each such loop aligning forth in greater detail.

The operation of my improved welt clos-' ing apparatus is as follows:

Let it be assumed that s'ufiicient lengths F of welt fabric have been knit; that the welt bars 52 have been attached tothe dipping frame 27 of the narrowing mechanism of. the

machine by the means 51; and that rods 90 have been placed within the folds of the wclts and connected to the draw straps 91 of the take-up rollers 92 as shown in Figs. I and IIall these operations having been performed with the machine quiescent and its various parts in the positions illustrated. With these preparations made, the operative restarts the machine, ahd at the same time depresses the control treadle 76. As a"consequence, the latch members 49 and 73 are concurrently tripped, and the roller arms 47 and 65 thereby released to the action of their springs. Immediately upon entry of the roller on the arm 47 between the cams 43, 44, the cam shaft 14' is moved endwise-toward the right .in Fig. I to initiate a narrow; ing cycle in the well known manner. Attendant upon such endwise movement of the cam shaft, the roller arm released as just explained, is acted upon by the cam 62, whereby the shifter rod 58 is moved toward the left and the roller 24 of the needle bar actuating arm 23 placed in the plane of the auxiliary press cam 55. Therefore, during the ensuing rotation of the cam shaft 14 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. II, the needle bar 10 is dependent for its in and out movement, upon the auxiliary press cam as the machine performs the narrowing cycle. During the first dip of the frame 27, the latched hooks 52a of the welt bars 52 are brought down from the position shown in Figs. I and VI to the position of Fig. VII into overlapping relation with the needles 10a; but at this stage in the operation, the roller 24 of the needle bar actuating arm 23 rides the concentric low portion 55a of the auxiliary press cam 55, the needles being accordingly held away from the welt bar hooks as illustrated in Fig. VII. However, as the frame 27 makes its second dip, the high spot 5512 of the auxiliary press cam 55 causes the needles 10a to be pressed into contact with the welt bar hooks 52a after the manner shown in Fig.

VIII, the initiallv knit course of fabric loops L held by the welt bar hooks being incidently depressed positively to a level somewhat beber 85. As the narrowing cycle of the machine continues, the sinkers 12 are simultaneously advanced (as usual during narrowing cycles) to the dot and dash line position shown in Fig. VIII over the top layer of the fabric F. The welt barhooks 52a and the needles 10a are thereupon concurrently elevated for a time until the beards of said needles have passed through the loops L. After this has been accomplished, the welt bar hooks are elevated at a more rapid rate I ,than the needles 10a and thereby withdrawn from the latter as in Fig. IX. By influence of the second rise 550, the needles 10a are restored to the normal position relative to the sinkers 12, the said cam rise 550 being as shown in Fig. II coincident with the concentric idling portions of the usual press'cams 54 and25 so that the roller 24 of the needle bar actuating arm can be moved back into the plane of the cam'25 at the termination of the narrowing cycle, which latter is determined through outward displacement of the roller arm 47 from the cams 43 and 44 immediately upon movement of the cam shaft to the left by-said cams. Also, as the cam shaft completes its revolution, the high spot 63a of the cam 63 causes the roller arm 65 to be displaced from the cam 62 so that the spring 60 is permitted to move the shifter rod 58 toward the right in Fig. I with attending restorationof the roller 24 of the needle bar actuating arm 23 into the province of the usual press cam 25 in readiness for subse- 'quent continuation witlrregular knitting by the machine.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided an automatic welt turning mechanism consisting of a few simple. parts which are readily atta ched'to a standard full fashioned stocking machine without requiring structural alterations; and moreover that the said mechanism does not in any Way interfere with the usual functions of the machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Automatic welt closing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines comprising a welt bar and means whereby it may be detachably secured to the dipping frame of the fashioning mechanism of the machine; and

means auxiliary to the usual needle presscamsof the machine. to determine contact of the needles with the welt bar hooks incident to but one of the two usual dips of the narrowing frame as the fashioning mechanism is caused to perform .a narrowing cycle for the purposes of automatic welt closure.

2. Automatic welt closing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines having the form of an attachment applicable to such machines without necessitating any alteration in their construction or normal mode of operation, the said welt closing mechanism comto but one of the two usual dips of the narrowing frame as the fashioning mechanism is caused .to perform a narrowing cycle for the purposes of automatic welt closure.

3. Automatic welt closing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines comprising a welt bar and means whereby it may be detachably secured to the dipping frame of the fashioning mechanism of the machine; a rotary cam, auxiliary to the usual needle press cams of the machine to determine contact of the needles with the welt bar hooks incident to but one of the-two usual clips of the narrowing frame as the fashioning mechanismis caused to perform a narrowing cycle for the purposes of automatic welt closures; and means for shifting the roller of the usual needle bar actuating arm into the province of the said auxiliary cam upon initiation of the narrowing cycle. i

4. Automatic welt closing mechanism-for full fashioned knitting machines comprising a welt bar and means whereby it may be detachably secured to the dipping frame of the fashioning mechanism of the machine; a rotary cam auxiliary to and mounted on the cam shaft of the machine to the left of the two usual needle press cams, the said auxiliary :cam adapted to determine contact of the needles with the welt .bar hooks incident to but one of the two usual dips of the narrowing frame as the fashioning mechanism is caused to perform a narrowing cycle forthe purposes of automatic welt closure; and means for shifting the roller of the needle bar actuating arm ofthe machine leftward into the province of the said auxiliary cam concurrently with shifting of the cam shaft rightward upon initiation of the narrowing cycle.

5. Automatic welt closing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines, comprising a welt bar and means whereby it may be detachably secured to the dipping frame of the fashioning mechanism of the machine; means auxiliary to the usual needle press cams of the machine to determine contact of the needles with the welt bar hooks incident to but one v of the two usual clips of the narrowing frame during the performance of a narowing cycle by the fashioning mechanism; and means operative to initiate the narrowing cycle. and to concurrently render the auxiliary cam aforesaid active for thepurposes of automatic welt closure.

6. Automatic weltclosing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines, comprising awelt bar and means whereby it may be detachably secured to the dipping frame of v essence the fashioning mechanism of the machine; a rotary cam auxiliary to the usual needle press cams of the machine, to determine contact of the needles with the welt bar hooks incident to but one of the two usual dips of the narrowing frame as the fashioning mechanism is jlcaused to perform a narrowing cycle; and

means for shifting the roller of the needle bar actuating arm leftward along its supporting axis into the province of the. said auxiliary cam concurrently with shifting of the cam shaft rightward upon initiation of the narrowing cycle, including a shifter rod, and another cam on the cam shaft for actuating the shifter rod.

7. Automatic welt closing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines, comprising a welt bar with means whereby it may be detachably secured to the dipping frame of the fashioning mechanism of the machine; a r0- tary cam auxiliary to the usual needle press cams of the machine to determine contact of the needles with the welt bar hooks incident to but one of the two usual dips of the narrowing frame as the fashioning mechanism is caused to perform a narrowing cycle for the purposes of automatic welt closure; and means for shifting the roller of the needle bar actuating arm leftward along its supporting axis into the province of the said auxiliary cam concurrently with shifting of the cam shaft rightward upon initiation of the narrowing cycle, including a shifter rod, a separate cam on the cam shaft adapted to influ ence a normally retracted actuating member for the shifter rod, and means for moving said member into operative relation with its cam.

, 8. Automatic weltclosing mechanism for full-fashioned knitting machines, comprising a welt bar and means whereby it may be detachably secured. to the dipping frame of the fashioning mechanism of the machine; means auxiliary to the usual needle press cams of the machine to determine contact of theneedles with the welt bar hooks incident to but one of the two usual dips of the narrowing frame incident to the performance by the fashioning mechanism of a narrowing cycle; and means for tripping the usual latch means of the machine controlling the initiation of a fashioning cycle, and for concurrently rendering operative the auxiliary means aforesaid for the purposes of automatic welt closure.

9. Automatic welt closing mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines, comprising a welt bar withmeans whereby it may be detachably secured to the dipping frame ofthe fashioningmechanism of the'machine;,a r0- tary cam auxiliary to the usual needle press cams of the machineto determine contactof the needles with the welt bar hooks incident to but one of the two usual dips of the narrowing frame as the fashioning mechanism Ill) is mused to perform a narrowing cycle for the purposes of automatic "Welt closure; means for shifting the roller of the usual needle bar actuating arm along its axis into the province of the said auxiliary cam; a

' separate cam on the cam shaft adapted to influence an actuating member for the shift ing means; a latch member for normally holding the actuating member retracted from its cam; and means for tripping the aforesaid latch means concurrently with the usual latch means of the machine controlling the initiation of a fashioning cycle, with attendant actuation of the needle bar by the auxiliary cam during automatic Welt closure.

10. A Welt bar useful in connection with automatic welt turning mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines, having latched fabric loop engaging hooks, and a loop aligning member for definitely depressing the fabric loops below the sinkers of the knitting machine incident to a welt closing operation, the said loop aligning member being attached to the welt bar with capacity for yielding to displacement by the sinkers upon advance of the latter over the loops.

11. A welt bar useful in connection with automatic Welt turning mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines, having latched fabric loop engaging hooks; and a loop aligning member for definitely depressing the fabric loops below the sinkers of the machine incident to a Welt closing operation, the said loop aligning member being pivotally connected to the welt bar with capacity for yield ing to lateral displacement upon advance of the sinkers over the loops.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania this first day of October, 1931.

. HAROLD F. PAGET. 

